span.fullpost {display:inline;} There's no blog
Monday, January 16, 2006
Manpanai Ponggal


Now that I've finished sulking let me explain. There's something about traditions. When you're so used to doing something and you don't get to do it one year, it effects you personally, there's a sense of loss.

That particular ponggal tradition, I've been part of has been going on for 16 years. The aunty who takes the ubhayam each year was reminding me the other day. As happy as I was to see her and the ponggal still being cooked, so was she.

Getting up in the mornings, wishing everyone then watching the fire and waiting for the milk to boil - it was a tradition.

Somehow Ponggals pretty ingrained with the society here. Few days before the indian shops will be selling sugarcanes, freshly made ponggal manpanais (earthen ware) and manjal kottu (turmeric plants). People either have their ponggal at home and then join the temple prayers or vice versa.

Whenever Kanni or Kaanum ponggal which is today fell on a Sunday, the youngsters in my area will get together and have our own ponggal. It will be total havoc - running around here and there, someone getting hit with the wooden spoon or us being forced to do kummi (boys included.

Even the students have their own ponggal celebrations. My univ used to have competitions. Each college would build a panthal (tent) and decorate it (the previous evening) with natural products like banana trees, bamboo, coconut leaves and then we'd name it based on historical figures. The next morning everyone came dressed in Indian attire, the men in veshti the gals in saree (this all gave marks), the kolams were drawn and the ponggal pane's were set. The team whose milk boils over first wins and so you'd see us trying out tactics from using fuel to slanting the pot as much as the judges will allow.

Our panthal used to even give out mooru (buttermilk). One anne an ayyapan bakthan used to give us ghee he got from visiting the Msian ayyapan caves or the time he went to India. Then we'd have different contests like mooru drinking competitions, pot breaking, sadugudu and the hinduism quiz. Our team one 3rd prize a few times we always lost on the panthal coz some team actually made chariots out of coconut stalks!!

It doesn't stop there. Our cultural nights are held around ponggal. Each Univ used to host a different ponggal night. We'd have cultural performances, then a run through of the best hits of the year through song and dance, comedy sketches that got hilarious by the year and then there was the decor. Beautiful done welcoming props and huge backdrops, usually all done by the students. Then there was the students, this was the time we'd come in our sarees, the men of course opted for shirts if they weren't with the committee and it was the photo time of the year and do I even have to mention the jollu vidduraning time?

Ponggal to me signifies the start of the year, the time you wish the best for yourself and everyone you care for.

So again Happy Ponggal Everyone ;)
Captured by visithra at 4:46 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Blogger Jeevan said...
Your pongal celebrations in University is very nice. When i was in school, we too celebrate Pongal on the previes day. In my class there was a girl, every time she will wear sari and cook pongal and we all round here, when the pongal flows form the pot, the hole school will tell Pongalo Pongal. Hope u had a Good Pongal.
Monday, January 16, 2006 5:45:00 PM  
Blogger Gladtomeetin said...
Wow...that sounds interesting and wonderful to know people are still keeping few customs alive ;-))

Wish you had a Gr8 time !
Monday, January 16, 2006 8:03:00 PM  
Blogger Gladtomeetin said...
Wow...that sounds interesting and wonderful to know people are still keeping few customs alive ;-))

Hope you had a Gr8 time !
Monday, January 16, 2006 8:03:00 PM  
Blogger anasalwa said...
visithra,
thank you for sharing the Pongal celebrations with your readers. I didn't know there is one Indian celebration that use sugarcanes.
Monday, January 16, 2006 8:23:00 PM  
Blogger Ghost Particle said...
Superb post. reminds me of the uni days, such fun.
Monday, January 16, 2006 8:24:00 PM  
Anonymous amitken said...
Happy Pongal :o)

and yes, these traditions and customs are something that keep us attached to our roots.

and the new look of blog is refreshing :o)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:01:00 AM  
Blogger Keshi said...
Visithra, may this year be filled with great things only and may it surround u with lots of love and happiness!

Happy Pongal again! Or as my lil nephew says...Happy Mongal..lol!


Keshi.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 8:57:00 AM  
Blogger visithra said...
@ Jeevan : yeah it was ;) lol adada then the ponggal u seem to remember the gal more ;) aiii hehehe ;)

we scream that too ;)


@ glad : it is ;) i guess it makes us richer having different influences ;)


@ ana : oh ure welcome ;)

its like the ibans hari gawai ;) its really a harvest festival - thanking the sun nature farmers for a good bounty - so we cook a sweet rice milk dish


@ gp : thanks ;) yeah it was wasnt it ;)


@ amit : thanks ;) happy sankranti to you ;)

it does doesnt it - ops i changed it back to black - theres an explanation ;)


@ Keshi : thanks darling ;) wishing u the same

aww thats so cute ;) Happy Mongal too ;) oh do put up his photo if possible - i love children ;)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:48:00 AM  
Blogger still_figuring_out said...
the activities you guys had for ponggal sound so nice! i feel so left out with regards to the ponggal celebration.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:34:00 PM  
Blogger Balaji S Rajan said...
Looks like you have had it in a nice way. That is really good to hear that our traditions are kept up.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 3:11:00 PM  
Blogger Usha said...
hey, I loved reading about the way you celebrate Pongal there. Having been in the city all my life I have never had the chance of experiencing such authentic pongal traditions.
Happy new year to you too.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:27:00 PM  
Blogger Keshi said...
I will scan his pic just for u ok...:)

Keshi.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 8:25:00 AM  
Blogger visithra said...
@ Still : well you should start your own ;) next year would be ur first wouldnt it ;))


@ Balaji s : i did ;) we do keep up but some things are different or more simplified


@ Usha : glad u like it ;) but i think even chennai is pretty dressed up for ponggal - what with the autos and their karambus ;) so pretty ;)

Thanks wishing u the same ;)


@ Keshi : awww thanks ;))) yayy yayyy new kid ;)
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:44:00 PM  
Post a Comment
<< Home